White Heart
by MackSK
Summary: Kapkan was living a life of a lonely wolf...until now. Frost is definitely a girl suited for him, but he doesn t know or feel it yet.
1. Chapter 1

"**White Heart"****  
**

Maxim „Kapkan" Basuda, Alfa Group, Spetsnaz  
Hereford Base, Herefordshire, England, GB  
189 km to the west from London  
Raining, 15℃  
September 2nd, 2018 - 7:30 a.m.

As every morning, most of us meet in the briefing room to summarize the results of recent operations and to decide on what to do next. As always, Eliza (Ash) is standing in front a big white board and with a long wooden stick in her hand. No one dares to disturb her when she´s talking, otherwise the person would get hit really fucking hard with that thing. It´s really painful, trust me.  
Luckily, me (Kapkan), Timur (Glaz), Shuhrat (Fuze) and Alexandr (Tachanka), sit in the back of the room. Then there are the Brits on the other side of the room. Lately, Seamus (Sledge) and Alexandr have been fighting and arguing a lot about who´s stronger. Sometimes they act like little kids. Who doesn´t once in a while?  
At the time when I am looking around the room with my hands crossed as usual, someone quietly opened the door and steps in - it was Tina (Frost) and Lera (Finka). Normally, they would just sit down without a word, but today they were giggling. They never do that! Especially during briefing.

„Girls, can you, please, be quiet and sit down already? You are interrupting everyone else." Eliza said with a short sigh, touching her forehead.

Suddenly, Dominic (Bandit) rised his hand. „_Bitte_..Eliza..just get over with it quickly..I really need to take a nap.."

„Don´t tell me that you were watching TV all night again, _dummkopf_." Marius (Jäger) laughed a little as he hit him gently into the shoulder.

„I couldn´t help it! You know that if I can´t watch new episodes of Kobra 11, I am nervous the whole week!"

„You are nervous either way - with or without TV, Dom." Gustav (Doc) tried to do a little joke. Everyone starts laughing except for Dominic as he stayed quiet for the rest of the briefing.

Eliza finally could finish her monologue. It took her something under 10 minutes. But mostly it feels like eternity for me. During that time, I´ve noticed that Lera was looking behind her very often. Is she maybe still mad about what happened during our CQB? Who knows. Or maybe she had something with her neck. I was thinking about it so much that I didn´t realised everyone is standing and that Timur is rising me up.

„Alright, guys. This month we will have less work, so enjoy your free days, but don´t forget to keep yourself in shape. Dismissed!"

Eliza salutes and everyone leaves in groups. Dom walked straight into his room. I can´t believe that _gazyol _is going to miss his breakfast. Probably someone from GSG9 will bring him the food. Maybe Monika (IQ) - she was sticking around him a lot lately. And not just in friendly way, in my opinion.

After a while, Shuhrat finally said something this morning: „Guys...do you think Monika and Dominik are actually dating?"

I started staring at him. Why he suddenly brought up this subject? „Shhh. Can´t you be more quiet, _debil_?" I said as we backed up a step so no one from her group could hear us and kept on talking. „Maybe there really is something between them, I am not sure...but I would never guess you have eyes for that. Don´t tell me you have a thing for her."

„_Net_...I was just wondering...but what about you!? You and Frost could be a perfect couple, don´t you think, Alex?" said Shuhrat while pointing at me and smirking slightly. 

What Shuhrat just said, stunned me right on the place. „Well...they are both really skilled trap experts...and they both like cold weather..." I turned my head to the other side as Alex joined the conversation.

„Maybe you should ask her to go out with you. I am sure it would be lovely." Timur started laughing quietly behind my back.

I just rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. But Timur didn´t stop his provocation. „Have you ever actually been on a date, Maxim? I mean with an actual living girl, not with a gun or a trap." I take a deep inhale and exhale before I finally said something: „Guys...calm down. She is my friend, my colleague. It would be really inappropriate from me to suddenly ask her out. I don´t even think she likes me."

I don´t think they understand what I mean. All my life, I was only working on myself. Fun was not really part of my life. And when I joined the army, it didn´t changed much. Those years serving my country made me less social. And girls? I never really tried to approach them and do all those flirty stuff like most of other guys my age. And when it comes to my female colleagues…it doesn´t make any easier. I just can´t find the courage to talk to any one of them in private. Hopefully, it won´t be for too long.

Well, back to the real world – my comrades were staring at me for like 2 minutes without saying a word. They were sure in a huge shock from what I just said. „Ammm...are you serious? Do you even listen to yourself sometimes? You said the most dumbest thing I´ve ever heard from you...besides that idea about fucking greenpeace traps on solar power, _blyaď_!"

I didn´t saw Alex so upset for a very long time. „Can we forget about that? It was a stupid idea, I know!...Guys, let´s go eat. I am starving...I want my oats already!" 

We started walking straight to cafeteria along the hallway. As usual, we are last people to join. Before that it was because of Shuhrat´s defected _Matryoshka_ – we almost blew up our dorm that time. And day before that, Alexandr´s blanket was on fire. I fucking told him to stop smoking in his own bed...he never listen. We sit down next to Germans, while French guys were sitting in front of us together with Canadians. But...why am I sitting right in front of...ammm...Tina? Mostly we sit very far away from others but what is this supposed to mean?  
I turned over to Timur sitting next to me with a _chevo blyaď _look on my face. But all I got from him was a slight kick into my right leg and his eyes pointing at Tina. Well, now I realised...they had a plan...I will just try to ignore the fact my own comrades tricked me to „socalize" during breakfast. I take my spoon and started eating those oats. Not the best food you can get here, but it reminds me of my motherland, so I am satisfied with it.  
I don´t talk to others so often, besides my own team...so I am quietly watching them instead. Gilles (Montagne) and Julien (Rook) are very good pals, probably because of similar interests in armor. On the other side, Elias (Blitz) and Marius are the only ones here from their group. I knew Monika and Dominic are going to stay at their dorm...veeery sneaky. Then there is Emmanuelle (Twitch) with Lera, Zofia (Zofia) and Elzbieta (Ela) further away gossiping...what else would four girls talk about without a company of other men? And finally...there is Tina sitting with Sebastien (Buck). They work together pretty well. But...one thing is weird...why is he so close to her? That´s too close, crossing her personal space. Somethings is not right here…


	2. Chapter 2

II.

Honestly, I could not focus on eating my delicious breakfast because of what was happening in front of me. I felt my heart pumping blood much faster than normal. Sebastien sitting close to Tina…why does it even bother me?  
When there was nothing left on my plate, I stood up and wanted to leave. But Timur´s hand holding my shirt stopped me.

"Where are you going, Maxim? It´s not training time yet." Timur said while looking at me with his calm but sharp eyes.

"Sorry, I need to go and fix some of my traps. Lately, they have been malfunctioning. So, if you will excuse me…" I managed to take off Timur´s hand of my shirt, gently pushing it away.  
While walking away from the table, I managed to notice that Tina was the only one quiet while everyone else was chatting around her. I just turned my head forward and went to the armoury. 

Armoury was one of my most favourite places to spend my free time, especially after breakfast, when nobody is around. I don´t really like when many people are talking around me or to me while I am working. It´s so annoying to me. That´s why I spend most of my time here all alone without any interruptions.  
I came to my locker room as I sat down on a wooden bench with the screwdriver in my right hand and my Entry Denial Device (EDD) in another one. With a deep inhale and exhale, I started fixing those damn things while I could. It was pretty chill in there, but I am used to this kind of cold, even when I am only in my _telnyashka_. I faced much worse conditions in the past. Especially Siberia..  
After five minutes of listening to sounds of unscrewing and wiring, I heard heavy footsteps in the distance, coming closer towards my locker. But I kept on fixing my traps, not focusing on what was happening around me. But after a moment I heard a very well-known British hoarse voice:

"Well, well, well, if it isn´t our trap specialist here all by himself…again." I would recognize that sarcastic tone anywhere. It was Mike (Thatcher), a SAS specialist, leaning against my doorframe with a grin on his face and his huge muscular arms crossed.

"What do you need from me this time, _starik_?" I just turned my eyes directly at him with a small sigh following after that.  
Honestly, especially his presence is the one which goes deeply under my skin. We share a different strategy and tactics when it comes to combat. Me with technology, he without it - not really my cup of Russian tea.

Mike just shook his head slightly: "Gosh, have some respect for elders, lad."  
Maybe I am not one of the youngest soldiers in Rainbow, but he is really closing to a military retirement. Still pretty agile and competitive for his age.  
As he slowly made a small step towards me, he carried on with his words: "Anyway, I heard some gossips about you lately. Something about…Tina, I think."

In that same moment, I stopped screwing the small machinery in my hand and turned my head to him with a confused look on my face: "What are you talking about? What kind of gossips about me and Tina?" One of my eyebrows lifted itself up a little bit as I put down the screwdriver.

"So you really are as dumb as they say when it comes to this." Mike just chuckled after saying that, still with his arms crossed: "Listen to me, Maxim. It´s time for you to become more…well …perceptive when it comes to women and their feelings." He stepped a little bit closer to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Even a blind guy would understand what is happening right now."

I looked back down on my device checking it out while my mind was full of confusion just from that one name: "Look, maybe I know what you are trying to say…but I feel like I don´t need anyone else in my life except my comrades and my traps. It´s better like this."

He just rolled his eyes as he sat down next to me on the bench and started again with his wisdoms: "That sounds so absurd. You feel like that because you never really experienced a real love or emotional connection to someone else than your family or…machines." Again, one of his sarcastic notes about technology. Typical. "I believe that when you will chat with Tina for a moment, you will quickly change your mind, Maxim." He slapped me on my back really strongly but it didn´t moved me by an inch.

And as he stood up and looked at the time, he turned around and started walking away from my locker room. Finally, I thought at first. But when I didn´t expected that, his hairy face showed up again at my door and he added one last thing: "Just remember this. Women are like traps." And he left immediately after that sentence. Without any explanation to it. His stupid cliffhanging sentences.  
As I took another deep breath to clean out my head, I put my device into a steel box and left right on the training ground. From one productive activity to another. Still with my thoughts in chaos.

With my hands in pockets and lowered head I kept walking down the corridor still thinking what Mike told me back then. "Women are like traps…does he mean they are dangerous? Or they need a special approach? Yeah…maybe that´s it…I don´t really know…"  
I was talking to myself, trying to realise the hidden meaning behind it as a sudden push force hit me from the side which brought me back to the real world. Someone just bumped into me. Someone smaller and lighter then me. I looked on my right side and, of course, there is a Chinese girl with black short hair reaching the top of her shoulders and sharp eagle-like eyes standing right next to me and looking at me as well. That´s Tina. Canadian Special Forces.  
I could barely managed to say something to her. It felt like I had a stroke or something: "Oh..hi, Fro-I mean, Tina. Nice to see you after such a long time." I still kept on my cold face.

She raised her eyebrows as she tilted her head to the side: "Maxim, you know that we met like few hours ago in the cafeteria, right?"

"_Da_…" I actually felt dumb when I realised what I´ve said to her. Embarrassment of a different level for me. I coughed a little bit to break the small silence between us as I calmed down and tried to keep the conversation simple: "Are you also going to the training ground for some CQB?"

"Yes," she nodded slightly, also with quite a cold look on her face "today I am going to try to break my own personal time record at room cleaning. What about your training, Maxim?"

When she said my name, I felt a little chilly. Weird feeling, really. "I am probably going to train some knife combat techniques. After the incident between me and Lera as I accidentally cut through her face really badly during our training, I decided to focus more on the right moves and control over the knife."

As we wanted to start walking together for the training, someone grabbed her arm, gently but quickly, from behind. And as I turned around, I noticed a guy with clear Canadian features. Sebastien…


	3. Chapter 3

III.

"There you are, Tina. I was looking for you quite some time." Sebastien didn´t even noticed I was standing next to him. He looked like he was in a hurry.  
"Oh…hey, Seb. Sorry, I lost the track of time. Maxim was telling me how he-" but before she could finish her sentence, Sebastien grabbed her hand not that gently and started slowly dragging her away saying: "Well, he will tell you more later on but right now we need to go. Our training program is weak. We got to improve it today. Let´s go."  
And they were gone, without a goodbye or anything. So rude. I slowly kept on walking on the training ground taking my time. I wasn´t really in a rush, I knew my comrades wouldn´t start without me. In the locker room, I quickly changed into some of my old Spetsnaz training camos and head outside.

As some water drops cooled down my body temperature a little more, I knew I was already on the field. Weather doesn´t bother me - it can be cold, hot, rain or a strong wind but we still train outside. "Adjust your environment the best you can" as my old trainer was telling me during my push-up session outside in winter.  
My guys were already waiting for me under small shelter. "Come on! This is how you present our regiment?", I yelled at them with a small smirk. Only one who decided to join my knife training was Alex. But besides our group, they were Fritzs and Canadians only. Well, today most of the Rainbow Six team really took a day off. Or a week off..

At the beginning, we started some stretching exercises so our muscles are ready for those moves later on. Not even 10 minutes after we started, Alex started a conversation with me: "What´s wrong with you, Maxim? You are tensed more than normally." "I am not tensed at all. I am perfectly fine and ready for some action." I said showing up my false confidence, because he was probably right. But I didn´t allow it to bother me as I sparred with Alex a little bit.  
"Sooo…how´s the thing between you and Tina so far?" came out from Alex which stunned me for a second, enough to get hit by his fist right into the stomach. I can handle many punches, but from Alex it feels like a powerful hit with a sledgehammer. Other members even fell unconscious in a fight against him. After I bended over a little bit to ease the spiky pain, I gave Alex a slightly annoyed look. He just grinned and crossed his arms looking at me saying:

"So it is about Tina, otherwise you would never let your opponent so close to you during a combat."

"Smartass…I know that. It´s just a…weird feeling, which I can´t really describe by words." I just rolled my eyes more annoyed than before.

But he kept on pushing the boundaries bit by bit: "_Chuvak_, it´s called having a crush on someone. And I think that Tina really is a perfect match for your lonely ass."

While he was making fun of me, I looked behind my left shoulder. Of course, my eyes landed on Canadians during their CQB training, Tina especially. Her swift movements and accurate shots made me think about women even more than ever before. She was…different. Something was hiding behind all that and I had a small urge to find out what it was. But immediately when I saw Sebastien, all my thinking broke down and I came back to reality again, noticing that Alex is waving with his hand right in front of my face:

"Hello! Maxim! Damn, did the punch messed up your brain functions as well or what?"

"Stop with the jokes already, jeez. I was just lost in my mind for a moment, that´s all." I said pushing his hand away while going for some water under the shelter.

For a second, he grabbed me by my right shoulder with a little sigh: "Look, I just want the best for you, comrade. And Tina is obviously the very best choice. Give it a shot and you will see. Just, act natural." telling me with a calm tone in his voice. I didn´t even looked at him when I escaped from his grip. I grabbed one of the plastic bottles from the table and sat down next to others from my regiment, not trying to think about Tina and Seb too much. It took me like a minute to recover from that heavy blow and I went back for some more training with my trusty knife.  
I was trying out some new techniques with combinations of swift defensive moves and counter-attacks on our training dummy for a start, focusing on most weak points - like neck, side of the head or solar plexus to stun and defeat the enemy as quickly as possible at close.  
After maybe an hour of constant trying to improve every little detail in my technique, my senses started tingling that someone is behind me. But before my knife was able to touch the person´s neck, I realised it was one of the Americans, Jordan (Thermite) as he tried to say something with a tiny stun in his eyes.

"M-Maxim, Jesus Christ, you almost cut one of my arteries. You got to be faster next time and maybe you will manage to send me to heaven, haha." Jordan bursts out laughing, such a joker of our team.  
With an unrecognizable smirk, I answered calmly: "Maybe there won´t be next time, comrade. Maybe one of your toys will have a small malfunction and maybe your body parts will be all over your workshop…hopefully."  
"Ooookay, haha…well, besides the funny stuff, Eliza wants you to participate one personal meeting which is going to start in few minutes. And she also said she doesn´t take No as an answer. So you should probably hurry up." And without any other info, Jordan quickly walked away. "Why is everyone so weird today?" I asked myself while cleaning the sweat from my forehead and running back to the briefing room.

When I opened the door, I could feel the presence of only one person in the room, and that was Eliza, nobody else. What kind of meeting is this? Right as I closed the door behind me, she started talking: "Hello, Maxim. I see you received the message from Jordan. Sit down and wait for a moment, there should be one more operator on its way."  
I nodded and sat down in the front row. But as I heard the squeeking noise of the door opening again, I slightly turned my head back to see who is the other member of this secret meeting.

"Alright, we can start now. Come to the front row where Maxim is, we will go through this pretty quickly. And also welcome, Tina."


End file.
